1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly pertains to an improved apparatus for continuously processing freshly harvested tomatoes which facilitates the continuous preparation of a variety of tomato products of uniform quality. In particular, this invention pertains to an improved apparatus for continuously and controllably separating a tomato macerate into a reduced insoluble solids pulp fraction with relatively low consistency and an insoluble solids-enhanced pulp fraction with higher consistency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the course of producing tomato products such as juice, sauce, soup, ketchup, puree and paste, the tomato fruit, after preliminary washing, sorting and trimming, is macerated (chopped) in conjunction with either a hot break or cold break process. The macerate then is passed through conventional equipment to extract seeds, skin and stem tissue. Subsequent processing of this macerate is dictated by the ultimate product desired.
When preparing tomato products from freshly harvested tomatoes, the quality of the product is influenced greatly by such variables as tomato cultivar, degree of ripeness and degree of freshness. For instance, separate batches of tomato juice prepared from a given quantity of tomatoes which have been obtained from different areas or varieties often exhibit noticeably different consistencies. Unfortunately, a producer has only limited control over these variables. Consequently, to date commercial facilities generally have had to be content with uncontrolled quality changes, such as consistency variations, encountered when preparing tomato products directly from fresh tomatoes.
While the consistency of a tomato product could be adjusted to some extent in appropriate cases by varying the solids content of the processed product, for example, by varying the degree of evaporation of the macerate or possibly by varying the addition of tomato solids in the form of a previously prepared tomato paste to the macerate, such techniques generally are ill-suited for continuous processing, represent a source of added expense which processing tomato products directly from fresh tomatoes is designed to avoid and may not be permitted by applicable statutes.
For example, in the standard commercial procedure for preparing tomato juice from fresh tomatoes no additives except salt are used and evaporative concentration techniques generally are avoided. Consequently, because of the above-noted variables affecting the quality of macerate, producers have had to be content with variations in the quality of tomato products obtained from their processing facilities. Unavoidable quality variations are particularly prevalent in the manufacture of tomato juice.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for preparing tomato products, such as juices and concentrates, of uniform and controlled quality.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for continuously and controllably separating a tomato macerate into a reduced insoluble solids pulp fraction with relatively low consistency and an insoluble solids-enhanced pulp fraction with higher consistency.